


Finding the Way Back

by InkstainedGwyn



Category: Persona 4
Genre: And a happy ending, Angst, Because this is me, I didn't mean to write this much, It just happened, M/M, Oops, Overcoming Homophobia, but then fluff, holy crap angst, this was an angst prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-16 11:04:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8099998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkstainedGwyn/pseuds/InkstainedGwyn
Summary: Yosuke has been drinking and sleeping around to quell his homophobic guilt after he and Souji hooked up one drunken night, and Souji finally leaves, unable to watch his friend destroy himself any longer. He leaves behind a note, begging his friend to get help, but never expects to see him again. [Edit: an epilogue (all fluff) has been added after much enabling.]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was from an [angst prompt](http://ohlookashinysquirrel.tumblr.com/post/150696104662/angsty-fuckin-sentence-starters) on my [tumblr](http://ohlookashinysquirrel.tumblr.com); the prompt was “I can’t stand watching you destroy yourself like this" for SouYo. I meant to turn it into a few-paragraph drabble, but it kind of grabbed me and wouldn't let go and 2 hours later it's a 5.5k word story and IDK don't look at me. And yes, it's got a happy ending. I won't write ones that don't.

“I can’t stand watching you destroy yourself like this.”

It was the hardest letter Souji had ever had to write. No matter how many times he told himself to get a grip, he couldn’t stop the tears; for someone who was usually brilliant with words, he had to pause between each line for so long that he had to rewrite the letter three times, as tears and ink mixed so badly that each copy became illegible.

Finally, he was done.

> Yosuke,
> 
> When you read this, I’ll be gone. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this, face-to-face, but I don’t want to make you feel even more guilty, or put any more pressure on you than I already have. Everything you’re going through right now is my fault; if I hadn’t said what I did, and let myself get so drunk that night that I ignored my better judgement and followed through, then you wouldn’t be tearing yourself apart.
> 
> I can’t stand watching you destroy yourself like this. I don’t know how you feel about me, and it’s not my place to guess - I tried to force my own emotions onto you once already, and the guilt has never left me. I do, however, know how you feel about the idea of being with me - with another guy - and I know how much you’re willing to go through to try to make yourself forget about it, to forget about me, to forget about what we did.
> 
> I’m sorry. I don’t know if you can ever forgive me, or if you ever even should. No matter whether or not you do, however, I only want one thing - if you ever cared about me, as a friend, as a partner, _please_ stop tearing yourself up like this. I’m gone. You don’t have to think about me, or about what happened, any longer. If you need to talk to somebody about it, or hate me for it, that’s okay. Just as long as you find what you need to help you move on, and heal.
> 
> You deserve everything wonderful and good in this world, even if you don’t believe that you do. I only hope you can find someone who can give it to you, and convince you that you deserve it. I hope you can find happiness, peace, and love.
> 
> You have and will always be my partner, that much will never change. If, by some quirk of fate, we somehow come back into each other’s lives and you want that back, it’s yours. But I don’t want you to ever feel guilty for my sake again.
> 
> Please, take care of yourself,
> 
> Souji Seta

Knowing Yosuke’s habits as he did, Souji folded up the letter and put it in a spot he knew the brunette wouldn’t miss it; as it was, Yosuke had been up all night - his distraction this time was a pair of cute clerks from the new boutique in the bottom of their apartment building - and Souji would be long gone by the time his roommate (former, now) was awake to see it.

Hoisting his duffel onto his shoulder - he couldn’t even find the energy to be grateful that he’d never really accumulated anything that could be considered _belongings_ \- Souji quietly and carefully locked the apartment door behind himself. It took him several tries to get the key off his keyring - between eyes that would not stop blurring, and his shaking hands - but he finally managed it, slipping it into an envelope before sliding it back under the door.

 _Maybe one day that key will go to one person, someone who can help Yosuke heal and start living again_.

* * *

The train ride back to Inaba was as long and as boring as it had ever been, and - with no desire to do anything else - Souji spent his time torturing himself with memories of the past. Thinking back to the time he and Yosuke had spent together in Inaba was almost like a dream; he’d always been a little sad, given his unrequited love for his best friend, but that was nothing compared to the horrible past two years.

He and Yosuke - still bright-faced and untested by the world - had managed to get into uni together; they both even focused on business, with Yosuke looking more at retail management, and Souji at office administration. Of course, they’d moved in together; they were best friends, and nothing could stand between them. Souji had tried dating around, although he couldn’t find anyone who caught his heart like Yosuke did; he ignored it, however, knowing that it was an impossible dream. Yosuke had his share of girlfriends, but none of them lasted _too_ long; still, it was nothing unusual for college, and they had all been healthy relationships.

It went well until their senior year, just before graduation. They’d gone to a party together, after weeks of cramming and stressing over finals, and both of them had gotten completely and utterly shitfaced-drunk. Somehow, they managed to get each other back to their shared dorm room, and when they did, that’s when Souji confessed to Yosuke.

If he hadn’t been so drunk, he would have seen the anxiety mixed with interest on the brunette’s face. If he hadn’t been so drunk, he would have realised that hooking up with your best friend - especially while drunk - when your best friend had always been uncomfortable with even the _idea_ of homosexuality was the _worst idea ever_.

He _had_ been so drunk, however, and he hadn’t listened to any of the warning signals, and that was the beginning of the end.

At first, the damage seemed negligible. They were both awkward the next day, and although it hurt him that Yosuke clearly didn’t want to talk about it, he had only expected as much, and they had finals to finish. Then there was graduation, and moving out, and they’d already found an apartment together, and neither of them seemed to want to suggest that it change, so they went ahead. Yosuke already had work lined up as an mid-level manager back with Junes, and Souji had job offers from several local offices; he just had to pick which one he wanted to work for. Things were still bright, so they just agreed never to talk about it again, and go on with their lives.

For a few months, it seemed to work. Yosuke was busy getting back into the swing of things at Junes, and Souji had to get used to the atmosphere and customs of his new workplace; they still hung out when they could, Yosuke dated a couple of young singles in their new apartment building, and it seemed like things had gone back to normal. Souji even accepted the fact that he liked guys more than girls, and asked out the barista from the coffee shop across the street; the guy was cute and nice, but he just hadn’t felt a spark, so they’d only gone on a few dates. The point, however, was that he was _trying_ to move on.

Soon after, however, Souji noticed that his roommate was starting to avoid him. He’d stay out all night, not coming home until noon (or later, depending on his work shift), or he’d come home completely drunk, or - and this was the worst of all - he’d bring someone home with him, someone new every night, and they’d keep Souji up all night with activities that he wouldn’t have wanted to hear even if he _hadn’t_ been in love with Yosuke. Being in love with him just made it that much harder to bear.

As the months progressed, things got worse. While it seemed - from what little Souji could gather, since Yosuke never talked to him any more - that the brunette _wasn’t_ letting his lifestyle affect his job, he couldn’t help wondering how long it could last. It was clear that Yosuke had developed a pretty severe alcohol problem, and Souji never, ever saw the same girl twice; he wasn’t sure where Yosuke was meeting all of these people, but he assumed it was probably at clubs. He didn’t really _want_ to know. He just hoped that none of them had exes or boyfriends that would come back and try to make trouble.

Finally, Souji came to the conclusion that there was only one thing that he could do; he was going to leave. He wasn’t certain that it would do any good, but it was the only thing he could think of. He knew, deep down inside, that his presence was one of the things wearing Yosuke down - constantly bringing back memories and guilt - and he didn’t want that. He’d _never_ wanted that. He just hoped that, by leaving, he’d remove that thorn, that reminder, and Yosuke would allow himself to start healing.

After a lot of soul-searching, Souji decided to move back to Inaba. His work had a branch there, Yosuke hated the place, and while it wasn’t _easy_ to secure a transfer, it was doable, so he did. And so he found himself on a train back to the town in which everything had started, praying that he’d be able to find _some_ sort of closure. He’d never stop loving Yosuke, but he hoped, one day, he could stop hurting.

 _I only ever loved him, I never wanted to make him sad. How can it be fair that simply_ loving _someone is so wrong, can cause so much pain?_

* * *

Nanako was in high school by now, and she was more than happy to see Souji again; Dojima had offered him a place to stay until he managed to find his own apartment, and he’d taken his uncle up on the offer. He was glad to see them, but his uncle’s worried expressions whenever he thought his nephew wasn’t watching didn’t escape him, and Souji wondered when, if ever, he’d be able to put on a brighter face.

Most of their friends had moved, and for that Souji was grateful. Chie and Yukiko were still around, but with the inn being so busy, they rarely had time to see him; while he was glad to have them nearby, he was happy that he didn’t have to feel guilty about wanting to be _alone_. He’d work, come home, help Nanako make dinner, and then go to bed. Really, nothing was different from how it had been, so long ago, except that there was no longer a brunette sitting at the fourth spot at the table (or on the couch in his room, or at the TV to watch movies, or…) - but then, there never would be again.

He’d debated changing his phone number, not wanting Yosuke to try to contact him or talk it out; he decided against it, however, knowing that he could block the brunette’s number, if he had to. Eventually, he realised it wouldn’t be necessary; he never got a single phone call or text. Part of him was glad, because he hoped it meant that Yosuke had finally forgotten him and started to reclaim his life. The part that wasn’t glad, he just buried under more work, and more responsibility.

Finally, Souji found his own place; it was an apartment on the other side of town, a fact that he very much appreciated. While it meant he’d have to go a little farther to see his uncle and cousin, that was okay; it also meant that he was away from the old, downtown shopping district, away from Junes, away from the Hanamuras’ house. Away from the shrine, and the riverbank, away from the memories that clung to him, dragged him down and mired him in misery every time he saw them.

Moving away helped, a little. He wouldn’t ever say he was _happy_ \- ‘happy’ was something he’d long-since given up on, but he’d also long-since learned that the world _wasn’t_ fair, and that not everybody got a happily-ever-after. But he was able to eat, and sleep, and pass from day-to-day. If he never spent a lot of time with his coworkers, he was quiet and helpful enough that nobody complained; there were a few times he _almost_ considered taking up drinking, but could never bring himself to touch the stuff again, not after what it had wrought, and what it had done to Yosuke.

Souji got a cat, eventually - a small black-and-white shorthair who’d been the runt of her litter, and who he named Vasha - and, well… if he wasn’t happy, he was at least alive.

Before he closed his eyes every night, Souji said a quiet prayer that somewhere, Yosuke was also alive, and that _he_ was happy.

* * *

One day, about a year after he’d moved into his own place, Souji came home a little early from work. He checked his mailbox, first thing, as he did every day; there was a bill, and a packet of advertisements and coupons, so he tucked them into his briefcase before heading into the building. The area was busier than usual, probably because he was home early; the traffic still seemed to be pretty thick. On his way into the building, he heard some driver frantically sounding their horn; for a second, it sounded like the silly little pattern Yosuke had used whenever he'd knock on the Dojimas' door - but then again, everything reminded Souji of Yosuke these days, so he ignored it and headed for the stairs.

He usually didn’t get home until it was dinner time, and much closer to dark; a lot of kids were still outside, playing games and running around at this hour. He was up to the third floor by the time he heard someone dash into the stairwell, running up the stairs. Shaking his head, he rummaged for his keys.

 _If it’s this noisy every day, then I’m glad I usually come home later_.

Closing the door behind him, he slipped out of his shoes and into his slippers; setting his briefcase down, he hung his jacket in the closet behind the door and headed for the kitchen to feed Vasha, who was twining around his legs.

Before he could get _into_ the kitchen, however, he was startled by the sound of someone banging on his door. Raising an eyebrow, he hurried over; when he checked the peephole, however, he was so shocked that his knees almost went out from underneath him.

 _It was Yosuke_.

For a moment, he fought against himself. _Should I open the door? Should I let him in? Should I tell him to go away?_ While he was debating, however, the brunette hammered again; peering out the second time, Souji realised with a start that his old friend looked… _human_ again. The bags beneath his eyes were gone, and his skin was no longer the sickly yellow it had been slowly turning when he’d left. Just that was enough to make him feel relief, and he remembered the last line of his letter; it wasn’t his intention to deny Yosuke his friendship if, for some unforeseen reason, the brunette had come back to talk to him again.

Slowly, he opened the door; the look on Yosuke’s face shifted from anxious to disbelieving as they stood there, staring at one another. When Souji tried to speak, he found that his voice had abandoned him; the brunette was the first to break the silence.

“Souji?”

He sounded questioning, and Souji winced, wondering if he really looked that different. He knew he didn’t look great, but he didn’t think it was _that_ bad. Slowly, he nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s me. You look good, Yosuke. Do you- do you want to come in?”

He tried his best to keep his voice neutral; he almost hoped that Yosuke would say no - it was already hurting just to see him there and not be able to hug him, like they once would have, back when they were merely ‘partners’. But he was still glad when the brunette nodded; he stepped back, letting Yosuke inside.

“I’m sorry, I don’t usually have guests, so I don’t have any spare slippers…”

“It’s okay, dude.” The brunette gave a small smile. “You know I prefer socks, anyway.”

“Yeah.” The word was an exhale more than it was a syllable. “Can I get you some tea? Please, sit down, any-”

“I’ll take some tea, but I don’t… Souji, we need to talk.”

Feeling himself grow pale at these words, Souji nodded towards the kitchenette. “Okay, just… please give me the chance to get the tea ready. I think… I’d like to have some, if we’re going to have a serious conversation.”

Yosuke chewed his lip for a second, and then nodded, going around to the half-counter and slipping onto a stool while Souji started to prep the teapot. This gave the silver-haired man a chance to look at the brunette’s reflection in the polished front of the microwave; he was wearing his glasses again, and his hair was neatly trimmed, and although the expression on his face was an anxious one that Souji was pretty certain was also on his own, overall Yosuke looked _good_ \- and it made Souji as happy as it did wistful.

Finally, the tea was done, and Souji slid both mugs across the counter before walking around to where Yosuke was seated. He took a stool, leaving one in between himself and the brunette; they both stared into their tea for a few moments before saying, in unison,

“I’m sorry, I-”

Pausing, they looked at each other; once upon a time they would have started laughing, but there was too much in the air between them now, and Souji just gestured for the brunette to continue.

With a nervous swallow, Yosuke gripped his mug with both hands. “Souji, I’m sorry. I’m… god. I’m sorry for everything. I…” He took a deep breath. “God, I don’t even know where to start. I’ve been waiting to say _so_ much for _so_ long… will you let me talk for a while?”

Trying to quash whatever rising feelings he might be having, Souji gripped his own tea mug, staring into it for a moment before looking up. The brunette’s eyes were just as clear and bright as they’d always been, but there was an intensity in them that he found hard to focus on; he let his gaze slide away for a moment before looking back again.

 _If he's going to talk, I have to listen. It’s the least I can do for him_. After a moment, he nodded. "Of course."

“Okay. Thanks.” Yosuke took another deep breath, and then looked back down at his tea.

“I’ve been miserable since you left. I know - you don’t need to say it - that I was also miserable _before_ you left. I’m not stupid. But I also was so selfish and so wrapped up in myself and my anxiety and my phobias that I’d never once realised what I was doing to _you_. I should have. I wasn’t stupid. You weren’t hiding it. But I didn’t, and I almost ended up killing myself _and_ you in the process.” He looked up, his eyes flickering over Souji’s form, and he grimaced.

“I… god.” He sank his head into his hands. “Souji, I have so many things to apologise for that I don’t think I can ever get to them all, I just-”

Carefully, Souji reached out, putting his hand gently on Yosuke’s wrist. “Yosuke. Forget the apologies. We can talk about them later if you need to, but they’re not important right now.”

With a flash of gratitude in his eyes, Yosuke looked up and took a deep breath. “You’re right. Okay. I’m just going to lay it all out. Souji, I love you, and I’ve loved you since high school. I was just so wrapped up in my preconceptions of what guys were and weren’t allowed to want and do that I never let myself think about it. Then, that day in college when you confessed, and we-” here, he turned a little red “-well, that day, I was both happy and terrified, because you loved me back but I was also allowing myself to turn into what I thought of, at the time, as a freak.”

The word hurt, but it wasn’t anything Souji hadn’t suspected - to be honest, he’d suspected all of it, so it wasn’t a surprise - so he just waited, patiently. Eventually, Yosuke continued to talk.

“It tore me up, because I was living with you, and I kept thinking about what that could - _should_ \- have been like: a happy couple, good morning kisses, goodnight kisses, cooking dinner together, greeting each other after work. Everything that I wanted, and nothing I allowed myself to have. Every time I’d go to work, or watch TV, or look at magazines I saw or heard about ‘normal’ relationships and it just made me feel… guilty. Broken. Wrong. So… I let myself go.”

Without pausing to look up - which Souji appreciated because he needed the time to compose his face, as reliving those memories hurt him even worse this time around - Yosuke shook his head.

“But then… you left. You left and for the first time I let myself realise what I was doing to myself, and what I was doing to _you_. And then you were gone, and I was alone, and I realised just how much I needed you, how much I had destroyed by my own short-sightedness, my own selfishness, and I almost lost it. I almost completely let myself go.” Souji sucked in a breath at this, but Yosuke caught his eye and shook his head. “I didn’t. I read your letter again, and all the things I hadn’t let myself think about the first time I read it - how much you were trying to get me to help myself, to let myself heal, how much goodness you wanted for me - jumped out at me, and I realised that if I ever wanted to see you again - meet you again with any sort of equality - I had to make things right.”

Taking a breath, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a little pin that had a circle and a 1 on it. “I’ve been going to AA meetings; last week was my first year’s anniversary. I fell off the wagon once, but I’ve been clean for nine months now. I started seeing a therapist, too.”

At these words, Souji felt a burden he’d been carrying for years finally leave his shoulders; no matter what came out of what was going on, here and now, he knew that Yosuke was going to be okay - _and that’s what matters_. "Thank god," he whispered, trying to keep the tears out of his eyes as he watched his friend.

Taking another deep breath, Yosuke looked up, catching Souji’s gaze and holding it. “I haven’t been with anyone since you left. I haven’t even wanted to. And…” He winced, looking disgusted. “I got tested, I’m clean.” With a red face, he looked down. “I don’t… ugh. Okay. So I came back to Inaba to see my parents - I’d been too guilty to before, but I wanted to see them and let them know how I was doing, and… somehow they don't hate me, so that’s good. But then I ran into Chie and Yukiko, and they asked me how you were doing since they never see you now that you’ve moved over to this side of town, and I just… I had to come looking for you. I had to see you again. I admit I just started driving around, because the idea of asking your uncle for your contact information terrified me, but… somehow I got lucky, and I saw you checking your mail, and here-” His voice cracked. “Here you are. Oh, _Souji_ …”

The brunette put his head back into his hands and started to cry and Souji, frowning, put a hand out, gently resting it on Yosuke’s shoulder. “Yosuke. It’s okay. I’m… really glad you’re here, and I don’t have words to say how glad I am that you’re… better. It’s-” here, _his_ voice started to crack, and he exhaled. “It’s all I ever wanted. I hated myself _so_ much for what I did to you.”

“But you didn’t.” Yosuke looked up. “You never did anything other than love me and that’s-” He shook his head. “I was so lucky to have that kind of love, even if I was so mired in toxic masculinity and society-reinforced gender roles-” (he tripped over the wording of the last phrase, suggesting that it was something he’d learned from his therapist) “-that I couldn’t get over them enough to allow myself to be happy. If anything, I want you to know that it's _not your fault._ It never has been. Okay?”

Souji winced, feeling the years of guilt hanging over his head. “Yosuke, I left you. I abandoned you, only _hoping_ that you'd get help. I was a coward, and-”

“-and if you'd tried to face me or talk to me or force me to get help I would have rebelled and I might have _died_. No, Souji, the shock of you leaving was the only thing that could have gotten through to me, _and_ it gave me the room to recover. I might not have wanted that, but I needed it. And you… didn't deserve to live through that, either. My toxicity was poisoning you, too.”

When Souji closed his eyes at this, Yosuke hesitantly reached out, touching his hand. “I don't expect you to get over the guilt immediately; it took me nearly a year to even start. But I'll keep telling you as often as I need to and I'll support you like a friend should. Okay?”

Exhaling, Souji gave a slow nod. “Okay. I'll… try.”

The brunette swallowed; there were tears in his eyes again. “I-” His voice broke again and he wiped his eyes, then placed his hands on his legs. “I love you, Souji. I only came here to tell you I’m sorry, and to thank you. But I… don’t want to leave it like this. I want you back. I want you to live with me again. I want you to be _with_ me again.” Souji inhaled sharply, shock written across his face; Yosuke held up a hand, shaking his head. “I don’t deserve any of it, and I won’t be angry if you don’t want to. I just… even if you don’t want that any more, can we at least be friends again?”

Souji felt as if his world was collapsing, and he wasn’t sure if it was taking him down with it, or if it was reshaping itself into something different; everything was too jumbled to tell. He knew what his _heart_ wanted, but he also knew that… things had been bad, _very_ bad, and he didn’t want to make the same mistake twice.

“Yosuke, I-” He shook his head. “Of course, we’ll be friends. I said that already, and I meant it. As for the rest of it…” He took a deep breath. “Giving in to what I wanted once almost killed you. I can’t ever do that again, I-”

The brunette held up his hands. “I know I messed up a lot of things. I’m still going to AA, and to see my therapist, and I might never be able to stop.” A shrug. “Well, stop the AA meetings, at least. My therapist thinks I’m almost to the point where I don’t need her any more, but I’ll always keep it as an option if things start to get bad again. But I love you, and I want to try. I don’t want to hide who I am any more, or how I feel about you. And… well… the worst part was that I never talked to you about anything because I felt too guilty, but… that’s not how you keep a relationship - of _any_ type, love _or_ friendship. If I can swear one thing, it’s that I will never, ever let myself fall into that kind of guilt and anxiety without talking to you about it. It’s the least I can do.” He rubbed his hands on his jeans. “And if you need me to prove that I’m better, and that I’m going to try, we can do anything. We can date, or we can move in together and I can prove to you that I’ve managed to get past my homophobia, or… I don’t know, I just… don’t want to let this go without trying, and-” Trembling, Yosuke hunched his shoulders, looking down at his knees as he trailed off.

Thoughts whirling, Souji stared at him. _He’s always been the best and brightest person I ever knew. Never once, even when he was hurting himself, did I ever see him deliberately hurt another person. I could always rely on him to do the right thing, and I can’t lie. I love him. I want him. I want to be with him and make him smile. Can I-_ A deep breath. _I can. I_ **will.**

Carefully, Souji reached out, brushing a strand of copper hair away from Yosuke’s glasses; the brunette looked up, and their gazes met, and he must have understood the look on Souji’s face because his own brightened with a blinding look of _hope_ , and then the silver-haired man was nodding.

“I love you, Yosuke. I always have, and I always will. I believe you when you say that you want this, and that you want to make it work - I do, too. But if I ever see you hurting yourself again, or withdrawing, or going back to the way things were, I’ll have to ask you to seek help, and if that means leaving for good, I will. Even if it kills me, because I’d rather die than see you hurt.”

“Oh, Souj…” Tears were already running down Yosuke’s face as he caught Souji's hand and jumped up from the stool, throwing his arms around the silver-haired man’s shoulders. “I know, and I understand, but I can also finally say that _I’d_ rather die than see _you_ hurt, so… I promise. I swear we'll make it work, and you’ll never, ever have to leave me again.”

Slowly, Souji wrapped his arms around Yosuke; the brunette's scent was one he’d missed so much, for so long, and the realisation that they were together, that they were _friends_ again, and that Yosuke loved him - _wanted to be with him_ \- and was willing to be open about it was too much for him. Burying his face against Yosuke's shoulder, he started to cry, and the brunette tightened his arms.

“I’m so sorry,” Yosuke whispered. “I’ll do everything I can to make it up to you.”

They stayed that way for some time, Souji seated and Yosuke standing, holding onto his beloved as Souji cried out all of the pain and fear that had been haunting him for years; eventually Souji pulled back, shakily, as he looked up at the brunette. There was little-to-no distance between them; slowly Yosuke leaned in, and Souji leaned up, and their lips met. The silver-haired man still braced for a second, expecting Yosuke to flinch and pull away, but he didn’t; the brunette just slid a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him close, tracing Souji's lips with his tongue before kissing him deeply.

From there it was only a few steps to Souji’s bedroom; this time it was everything it should have been the first time, and Souji decided that, to him, it _was_ their first time, the first _real_ time.

* * *

A few hours later, they were laying side-by-side; it was a single bed, so there wasn’t too much room, but that didn’t seem to bother either of them as Yosuke lay on his side, propped up on an elbow. Souji smiled softly at him, the first _true_ smile he’d felt in years; the brunette, however, looked a little unhappy.

“Souj, you’re skin-and-bones. You were always slim, I know, but…” He shook his head as Souji flushed.

“Sorry, I- I just never really felt like eating much. I know it’s not healthy, but I promise I ate enough that I never got sick, and-”

“And it’s okay.” Leaning over, Yosuke kissed him before stroking his cheek. “How about now? Tonight? Think you’d be okay with letting me take you out to dinner?”

Souji’s eyes widened at this. “Dinner? Like…a restaurant, in public?”

Wryly, Yosuke nodded. “I deserved that comment, but yes. I told you. I love you and I don’t care who knows now… and I want to make up for all the times I missed out on that I could have been together with you, as a couple.” He twined their fingers together, leaning over to kiss Souji’s hand, and suddenly Souji sat up.

“Vasha!”

“Vasha?” Yosuke looked puzzed for a second, and then a look of dread crossed his face, but before he could ask, Souji nodded.

“She’s my cat. If… if you want us to move back in together, you’ll have to be okay with her coming along, too. I won’t leave her.”

As if summoned by her name, the small cat jumped onto the bed, meowing; she stared balefully at Souji, as if trying to scold him for forgetting her dinner. Looking up at Yosuke she stopped, sat down, thumped her tail against the bed a few times, and then walked over and head-butted his knee.

Yosuke - who just seemed relieved to know that Vasha was a cat and not a complication - blinked, then started to laugh as he petted her. “Hello, Ms. Vasha. Of course you can come, too. Clearly I owe you thanks for keeping Souj company this past year, and if the place I’m in now doesn’t take pets, we’ll find a place that does.” He smiled at Souji. “I wouldn’t ask you to leave her behind.”

“Good.” Souji smiled, leaning over to kiss Yosuke as he petted Vasha, too; this was, apparently, enough of an apology, as she bumped his hand and started to purr. “It’ll take a little time, I need to see if I can get a transfer back to Tokyo, but-”

“But I took a month’s vacation from Junes, meaning to really get to spend time with my folks again, so we’ll make it work.” Yosuke kissed Souji again, and then again, and again. “Even if I have to ask for a transfer back here to work at this Junes until you _can_ get back to Tokyo, I don’t care.” He slipped his arms back around Souji’s waist, bumping their foreheads together gently. “I lost you once, and now that I've found my way back to you I’m never going to let you go again. I _love_ you, Souji.”

“And I love you, too, Yosuke. I always will.” With a small sigh of contentment - the first he’d ever given - Souji leaned in and let himself get lost in the warmth of Yosuke’s arms. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A happily-ever-after epilogue, if you want it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I couldn't leave well enough alone. If you were happy with the first chapter, it's a very acceptable ending; this is nothing but fluff and mush and happily-ever-after. Enjoy, if you like that sort of thing!

That night, Yosuke took Souji out for dinner. After some discussion, they decided on Aiya’s; Souji hadn’t been back since he’d returned to Inaba, and some small part of him wanted to make sure Yosuke was _really_ okay with being together amongst people that would almost certainly remember them.

Yosuke was everything he could have hoped for, and more. He ordered for both of them, making sure to get Souji’s favourite ma-po tofu, along with his own pork ramen and gyoza. He held Souji’s hand across the table, occasionally brushing his thumb across his boyfriend’s knuckles; he even acted as if he was ready to feed Souji a dumpling with his own chopsticks, although Souji just smiled and shook his head, taking it himself.

The real test came when they were finishing up; the door opened just as they heard familiar voices, and Kou and Daisuke - Souji’s old teammates from high school - came in. They recognised the couple at once, calling out as they walked over; Souji waited for Yosuke to withdraw his hand, but the brunette never did, still holding on as he greeted their old friends.

They exchanged greetings, and the two newcomers pulled up stools; after a few minutes catching up on where everyone was in their lives at that time, Kou cleared his throat.

“So, uh. I guess you two are dating?”

“Yeah.” Yosuke smiled at Souji. “It took us a while, but I stopped being a bonehead, and we’re together now.”

Souji couldn’t help but flush a little at this, and Daisuke laughed. “Woah, wow. You actually made Seta _blush_. What the hell is that?”

“Eh, we always knew you two were goofy for each other.” Kou chuckled. “Wondered how long it would take.”

“Too long,” Yosuke said; if there was an off note in his voice, only Souji caught it, and he squeezed the brunette’s hand.

* * *

Eventually, they bid their friends goodbye and headed back to Souji’s apartment; Yosuke drove, having gotten a new car in the time since Souji had left Tokyo. When his boyfriend asked about it, he smiled.

“I was lucky as hell that my stupid shit never got so far as to screw up my work, and I just kept getting better once I started getting help. I got a couple of promotions, and I’m now the district manager for all the Junes stores in the South Tokyo region.” He looked shy, but pleased, and Souji couldn’t help smiling.

“I’m so proud of you, Yosuke. I’m not surprised.”

“What about you?” They were at a light; the brunette turned to look at his boyfriend, but frowned when he saw the look on his face. “Souji?”

Souji sighed, looking out the side window. “I haven’t been doing _badly_. I’ve had a few raises. But no promotions… I guess I’m just not open and friendly enough.” He tried to relax his hands on his knees, and Yosuke reached over, putting a hand over one of them before shaking his head.

“Don’t feel bad. I never thought your office valued you enough. I’ve said so before.”

“Yeah, you did.” Souji gave a small smile, remembering a conversation they’d had when he first started working. “Oh, well. I guess we’ll see what’s what from here on out.”

* * *

Once they were back inside, Yosuke pulled Souji into a long, gentle kiss; it wasn’t until the brunette’s phone buzzed that they pulled away. A little short of breath, Souji smiled. “I’ll make some tea.”

“Got any chamomile?” Yosuke was already looking at his phone. “I usually drink it before bed to help myself sleep. Although, I don’t think I’ll have problems sleeping tonight.”

He looked up at Souji with a soft smile; Souji nodded, already reaching for the box. “Will you stay tonight, then? I know you’re here to visit your parents…”

“Mmmm, but they work a lot of nights, just like they used to.” Yosuke was typing out a text. “And I… want to spend as much time with you as I can, too. Would you mind? I can see them on days when they’re home during the daytime, and maybe spend a few nights with them when they’re home.”

Straining the herbal tea into two mugs, Souji bit his lip. “I want that, too, but I don’t want to bother them, and-”

“And nothing.” Yosuke chuckled, walking into the kitchen and wrapping and arm around Souji’s waist. “Look.” He showed Souji a text on his phone; it was from Mrs. Hanamura.

> If Souji-kun isn’t bothered, then of course. Just make sure you bring him over whenever you come, and to stay sometimes, okay? I miss him! M [1/2]
> 
> ake sure not to make him cry, okay? ^_^ [2/2]

Remembering the friendly, cheerful woman who had been like a second mother to him, Souji bit his lip. “Of course, I- I want to see them again, I’m just sorry I never stopped by until now.”

“I think she understands, partner.”

Souji closed his eyes at the word _partner_ , leaning back against Yosuke’s shoulder, as the brunette was still holding onto him. _I never thought I’d hear that again… it feels_ so _good_ …

* * *

After taking a long shower together, Souji loaned Yosuke a shirt and some shorts to sleep in; they joked that it was ‘just like old times’, and for the first time in years Souji could think back to those days without pain. They curled up together in his small, single bed; with Yosuke’s head against his chest, Souji drifted off to sleep.

He woke up the next morning, their positions reversed; he was curled up against Yosuke’s side, listening to the brunette’s heartbeat, and when he reached over to turn off his alarm, Yosuke stretched, rubbing his eyes.

“Hey. You sleep okay?”

Souji raised an eyebrow. “I think so? I don’t remember dreaming.”

The brunette exhaled. “Good. I was worried, because you started mumbling and tossing around sometime around midnight, so I pulled you over and held on, since it seemed like you were having a nightmare.” He frowned. “I hope it wasn’t one.”

“If it was, I don’t remember it.” Leaning over, Souji gave Yosuke a soft, sweet kiss. “I have to go to work, but I’ll do my best to be on time tonight. Do you think you’ll be here?”

“Mhm.” Yosuke ran his fingers through Souji’s silver locks, trying to straighten his bedhead out a little. “Mom and dad are off tomorrow night and Saturday, so they suggested that we come stay the night. In return, I’m staying here today, although I’ll probably run some errands and grab my duffel from the house. Is that okay?”

“That’s perfect.” Souji smiled, kissing him once more before turning to his closet to start getting dressed for the day. “I’m sure Vasha will be happy, too. I know she gets lonely when I’m gone.”

The brunette chuckled. “I’ll make sure to keep her company.”

* * *

Souji found himself flying through his work, his eyes constantly glued to the clock; more than one of his coworkers commented on how happy and cheerful he seemed, and he just smiled and nodded and thanked them. His supervisor didn’t look _pleased_ when he packed up at the normal time - his usual habit was to stay at least an hour or two late every night, if not more - but as Souji had finished all his work, the man couldn’t say anything.

When he unlocked his apartment door that evening, he was met by the most amazing smells, as well as the nostalgic sounds of one of the pair’s shared favourite CDs. After putting his briefcase down and hanging up his suit jacket, he stepped into the kitchenette to find Yosuke standing at the stove, pulling golden-brown tonkatsu from sizzling oil while an aromatic red-brown sauce simmered on the stove beside him. Souji was just about to say something about how _good_ it smelled - tonkatsu was his favourite dish, and Yosuke’s recipe was _perfect_ \- when he blinked, realizing that Vasha was sitting in the hood of the brunette’s track jacket, paws on his shoulder as she presided over the preparations, as if she was the head chef.

When Souji started to laugh - he couldn’t _help_ it - both Yosuke and Vasha turned to look at him; a smile broke across the brunette’s face, and he wiped his hands before throwing his arms around Souji’s waist.

“Welcome home! I missed you.” They exchanged a kiss - short but sweet, as it was awkward with Vasha _right there_ and staring at them, since she’d declined to move - and the brunette smiled. “I hope you didn’t mind me cooking dinner. I didn’t figure you did much for yourself, given that all I found in your fridge were eggs, miso, milk, and tuna.”

“Mind? It smells amazing. God, Yosuke, I missed your cooking so much.” He wrapped his arms around the brunette’s waist, leaning in to nuzzle him. He ignored Vasha, who shook her head, batted at Souji’s neck, and then squirmed out of Yosuke’s hood before jumping down from Souji’s shoulder, to the counter, to the floor. Souji just chuckled.

“I see you and princess are getting along.”

“Yeah. She’s a good cat.” Yosuke smiled as she twined through their legs. “Don’t let her fool you, though, I already fed her.”

“Good to know.” The silver-haired man chuckled. “And I really did miss your cooking. Not as much as I missed you, but…”

Yosuke had always been the one to cook; he’d surprised Souji in high school with the hitherto undiscovered talent one day when he was spending the night at the Dojimas’, and he’d only gotten better throughout college. Souji was more than happy to let him cook - he wasn’t terrible at it himself, but he was always the type to forget about dinner and live off miso soup and rice - and it was something he’d missed _so much_ while they were apart. As they sat together at the table, he savored every bite; the flavours hadn’t changed, and if he closed his eyes he could believe that nothing had happened between the two, that it was two years earlier and that they were sitting at the table in their own apartment.

But things _had_ happened, and while he hated most of it, he wouldn’t have traded the last 24 hours for the world. Opening his eyes, he saw Yosuke across the table from him, smiling.

“Did you miss my cooking that much?”

“Yes.” Reaching out, Souji squeezed his hand. “I missed your cooking, your voice, your face, your smiles, your _everything_. Seeing them again makes me so _happy_ … especially now that they’re real again. I-” He bit back the next words, shaking his head, and Yosuke stood up, walking over to hug him tightly.

“I know. And we don’t have to talk about it unless you want to or need to, okay?”

“Yeah.” Souji rested his head against Yosuke’s chest for a moment, then took a deep breath. “Okay. So. Tomorrow, your parents?”

“Yeah, mom’s already called three times to make sure.” He chuckled. “I hope you don’t mind, I told them that we were together.”

“No, I don’t mind.” The fact that Yosuke was willing to tell his parents made Souji feel warm, and he smiled down at his plate. Then, a thought crossed his mind. “I should tell uncle, too.”

“Right.” Yosuke grew quiet at this, and Souji raised his head.

“Yosuke?”

Taking a deep breath, the brunette gave a dry chuckle. “Given how miserable you’ve been, I really don’t expect him to take it well - I don’t know if you told him what was up but even if you didn’t, he’s going to have figured it out. You know that, right?”

“Yeah.” Souji sighed, pushing his rice around with his chopsticks. “I’m sorry, Yosuke, I don’t have to-”

“Yes, you do.” When the silver-haired man looked up, Yosuke had a fierce expression on his face. “I’m not going to run away, Souji. I actually…” He took another deep breath. “I want to talk to him, to apologise and explain, and… ask for his forgiveness.”

Souji raised an eyebrow at this, but nodded. “If you want that, Yosuke, of course. I think it’s a bit formal, but… we’ll go. Whenever you want.”

A sigh. “I hate to put it off, but we’re going to my parents’ tomorrow. Saturday afternoon?”

Souji nodded. “Okay. I’ll text him and let him know.” Seeing that the brunette still looked worried, he hugged him again. “It’ll be okay, I know uncle will probably be mad, but he always liked you. We’ll talk him around.”

“I hope so.” Yosuke kissed the top of Souji’s head. “Now, let’s finish dinner before it gets cold.”

* * *

Yosuke’s parents were just as affectionate to Souji as they’d ever been, and Friday night and Saturday morning passed enjoyably, with Souji finally feeling again like he wasn’t alone, and like he’d regained a family he’d lost. Mrs. Hanamura started in with the ‘grandchild’ comments, of course, but it was all in her nature, and although the boys had both been embarrassed, it hadn’t bothered them.

Dojima was a harder case. He was very, very angry with Yosuke - and, as he presented it, for good reason - but between Yosuke’s earnest apologies and explanations, Souji’s silent support, and Nanako’s spirited comments in defense of “Yosuke-nii,” the detective finally relented, forgiving Yosuke and giving him permission to date Souji. It was clear afterwards that he’d been almost as worried about the brunette as he had about his nephew, and they left that night with a better understanding of one another.

When they weren't visiting friends and relatives, they spent some time down at the river, as well as back in their old stomping grounds; for all that it still tugged at Souji's heartstrings - what he and Yosuke had gone through wasn't anything he'd ever _really_ be able to forget, or easily get over - it wasn't nearly as hard to walk through the old familiar places any more. They took their time, starting to make new memories - happy memories - to overshadow the old, nostalgic ones.

After a few days, Souji went in to talk to his supervisor about the possibility of transferring back to Tokyo; instead of being met with support, however, he was criticised for not working as many hours as he had been (despite the fact that he was still accomplishing as much, and wasn’t leaving any earlier than anyone else). After going home in a depressed fog, Yosuke helped talk him through it; the next day, Souji reached out to an office in the city with whom he’d worked many times when he’d been with the Tokyo branch of his current job - the manager had told him more than once that he’d wished he had workers like Souji, and to contact him if he was ever looking for a new job. Souji explained that he was looking to move back into the area and were they looking for anyone currently?

He was hired within the week.

They had to find a new apartment - the one-bedroom Yosuke had moved into didn’t allow pets, and besides, they wanted some extra space; at least a second bedroom, if not a study or office, as well. They managed to find a place that was close enough to Souji’s new workplace and the Junes home office that, really, it was a better move anyway.

* * *

Almost a year after the two had reunited, they were relaxing at home one night; they didn’t tend to go out often, except on weekends. They’d always had the habit of hanging out together, even when they were doing two different things; their high school and college practice of Yosuke sitting on the couch playing video games while Souji read next to him had now turned into Yosuke sitting on the couch playing video games while Souji laid back with his head in the brunette’s lap, still reading. They’d even bought a nicer, longer couch so that Souji could stretch out fully; his knees hung over the arm of the last one, and while he loved laying in Yosuke’s lap, it got uncomfortable after a while.

Vasha would alternate between curling up on Souji’s stomach and sitting on the couch arm next to Yosuke to watch the TV, depending on the game; she loved fast-paced games, although she never ran down to bat at the screen or distract the brunette. (She would, sometimes, softly pat the hand that was holding the controller if he paused the game for too long, however.)

This particular evening, Yosuke was playing a brand new FPS that had just come out; while Souji sometimes played games with him, this was a genre he particularly did not like, so he was reading a novel while Yosuke played. After a while, Yosuke paused on the inventory screen, dropping his hand with the controller to his knee.

“Hey, Souj?”

“Mmm?” Souji turned a page, then put his finger in the book to mark his place and looked up at Yosuke, backwards, over the rims of his reading glasses. “What’s up?”

“Are you comfortable now?”

His boyfriend raised an eyebrow. “While it would be even more relaxing if I was receiving a head massage right this moment, I’d say yes. Your leg is quite comfortable.” His tone was dry, as it always was, but a small smile flickered around the corner of his lips, and Yosuke chuckled softly.

“Doof.” This didn’t stop him from sliding his fingers into Souji’s soft silver hair and starting to gently rub his head. “I don’t mean like that, I mean… _us_. You and me. Being together. It’s been almost a year, and I just wanted to know if… everything is going as well as it could be. _I’m_ happy, but I want to make sure _you_ are, too.”

A soft smile spread across Souji’s face, but he looked away, clearly thinking. The smile never left, so Yosuke didn’t feel _too_ worried, but he still found himself waiting nervously; finally, Souji looked back at him before propping himself up on one elbow so that they could look at one another, face-to-face.

“I _am_. And I trust you. I’ll probably always keep the thought in the back of my mind that if things were to go wrong, we’d need to address it quickly and seriously, but… I guess it’s worth acknowledging that you have that kind of thought for _any_ relationship. Just because nothing’s ever gone wrong before doesn’t mean it won’t in the future; just because something _has_ gone wrong before doesn’t mean it will _again_. And I can’t think of a time I wasn’t happy with you this past year. Sometimes work was a pain, and I know we annoyed each other from time to time, but it never stopped me from loving you, or came between us.”

Yosuke exhaled softly, returning the smile. “Good.” His voice was low, and full of feeling. “I’m glad. I know you took a huge chance in trusting me again, and I’m so happy that it’s worked out.” Leaning down, he kissed Souji, who slid a hand into the brunette’s hair, pulling him closer.

Vasha, on the couch arm, debated on whether or not to tap Yosuke’s hand; eventually she gave a little squeak and jumped down, heading for the study. It had been a year, and she knew by now how to recognise the fact that her humans were going to be too busy to pay her much attention for the rest of the night. Not that it bothered her too much; there’d be other times to watch the TV - and after all, her taller human smelled and acted so much happier now that the shorter one was around that she could put up with being ignored from time to time.

* * *

The little exchange made Souji happy, but he didn’t think much about it. When Yosuke told him, a few days later, that he had some plans that evening so could Souji make sure to be home relatively early, Souji just smiled, and said okay, he was pretty sure he could.

When he got home, he was surprised to find Yosuke in the bedroom, dressed in one of his nicest suits; when the silver-haired man blinked, the brunette just smiled at him, leaning in for a kiss.

“Welcome home. Dinner’s not for an hour and a half, so you should have plenty of time to get a shower and change.”

“Okay, but… what’s going on?” Souji looked a little dazed.

“Does something have to be going on for me to want to take you out for a nice meal?” Yosuke smiled at him. “It’s been awhile since we had a date, you know? And it _has_ been almost a year since we started dating.”

“It has.” Souji smiled a little, shaking his head as he walked over to the closet to look through his dress clothes. “Although the exact day isn’t until next week.”

“Yeah, but you’ve got that conference that day. We can celebrate, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get you for long enough to have a nice night out.”

“True.” Laying a suit out on the bed, Souji gave Yosuke a kiss. “All right, then. Let me get my shower and we can go.”

“Mmmm, good.” Yosuke smiled, returning the kiss before pushing Souji towards the bathroom.

* * *

The brunette had made reservations at a very nice French restaurant at one of the more lavish hotels nearby. Souji raised an eyebrow as they were shown to their table, but he knew that they both had rather well-paying jobs, and they didn’t splurge too often, so money really wasn’t an issue. He just made a mental note to figure out something nice to do for his boyfriend in return when their actual anniversary _did_ roll around.

The food was delicious, and it was so, _so_ nice just to be there with Yosuke (who, he had to admit, looked _really_ good in his suit). Yosuke had already ordered a full-course meal ahead of time; when the entree came out, he merely cautioned Souji to save room for dessert. When they’d both had enough, the brunette wiped his mouth with his napkin and gestured to the server, who came over to refill their water glasses (sparkling water, as Yosuke was still completely dry and Souji had given up drinking as well.)

After the main course dishes had been cleared away there was a pause; Souji noticed that Yosuke seemed a little nervous, but he wasn’t going to let himself worry about it, knowing that he had a tendency to overanalyze everything. Finally, the server came back out, but he was only carrying one plate; with a nod to the brunette, he set it down in front of Souji, who blinked.

The plate was ringed with roses, but there was no dessert on it; instead, in the middle, there was a small box - the sight of which caused Souji to freeze. Slowly, he looked up at Yosuke; his boyfriend was watching him, an anxious smile on his face.

“Go ahead,” he said, quietly. “Please?”

Hands shaking, Souji opened the box; inside was a platinum ring studded with a handful of tiny diamonds, glittering like stars in the sky. He was still staring at it in shocked disbelief when Yosuke reached out, putting a hand over his.

“I really didn’t know how you’d feel about me doing this in public, but I really wanted to - mostly because I wanted to prove, again, that I’m so, so proud to be with you, and to love you, and that I don’t ever want to hide it again.” The brunette's voice was shaking, but he held it as steady as he could. “That’s why I did it here. I don’t care if anyone sees, but I won’t make a spectacle and embarrass you.” 

Souji looked up, giving a tiny smile; his response seemed to give Yosuke courage, and he continued. “You said you were happy, and that you trusted me, so I thought- I thought, maybe, that it was finally okay for me to do this, because I’ve wanted this since the day you came back into my life, but I knew I couldn’t push it, push _you_. I still don’t want to push, but I at least want to ask, with no expectations… Souji Seta, will you marry me?”

At these words, Souji closed his eyes, trying to ground himself; he already knew his answer, there was no need to even think about it, but everything was spinning and he hadn’t even thought to expect something like this. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes, looking into Yosuke’s. The brunette was watching him, nervously rolling a corner of the napkin between his fingers; Souji smiled, then leaned over and pulled him into a tight, fierce hug.

“With all my heart,” he murmured, low enough that only Yosuke could hear him.

At these words the brunette relaxed, wrapping his arms back around his boyfriend - _fiancé_ \- before exhaling shakily.

“Oh, thank god. Souj, I love you so much… I don’t ever want to let you go, I won’t let you go, and-”

“-and you won’t ever have to. I love you, too, Yousk.” Souji pulled back, smiling softly before kissing the brunette. “Although, do you mind if we… skip dessert and, uh… head home?” He gave Yosuke a _look_ , and the brunette - turning a bit pink - grinned.

“About that… there isn’t any dessert, not here.” Reaching into his breast pocket, he brought out a hotel keycard. “I took the liberty of having some stuff sent up to our room… I’m just glad you said yes so that I don’t have to feel like a fool for reserving it in advance.” He laughed at the look of surprise on Souji’s face before reaching over to take up the ring box; extracting the bauble, he took Souji’s hand and slid it onto his left ring finger. “There.”

The silver-haired man smiled, flexing his hand. “It fits perfectly.” He started to lean in, but then stopped, looking alarmed.

“Vasha?”

“Already fed her.” Yosuke laughed, standing up. “She’s stayed home alone overnight before, you know she won’t mind.” Extending a hand, he winked at Souji. “Shall we?”

“Mmmhm.” Smiling, Souji took his hand and stood, following him out of the restaurant and towards the elevators; once their car emptied out around the third or fourth floor, Souji slid his arms around Yosuke’s waist, pulling him backwards against his chest as he rested his chin on the brunette’s shoulder, looking at their reflection in the glass window.

“Tomorrow, let’s go pick you out a ring, okay?” Softly, he kissed the little hollow behind Yosuke’s ear, and the brunette shivered.

“That eager to mark me as yours, eh?”

“Absolutely.” Souji’s voice was low and serious in his ear, and Yosuke had to bite his lip as the elevator stopped, letting them out onto an upper floor.

From there, it was only a little way down the hall to their suite; as Yosuke opened the door, Souji was placing kisses down the back of his neck. “Of course… until then, I’ll just have to find another way to place my mark on you.” With the door closed behind them, Souji put his lips to the curve between Yosuke’s throat and shoulder and _sucked;_ the brunette gripped the arms that were still wrapped around his waist, moaning softly.

“Oh, _god_. I love you so much, Souji.”

Already working to unbutton Yosuke’s suit jacket, and the shirt underneath it, Souji caught the brunette’s eye in the mirror behind the door. Putting his lips to Yosuke’s ear, he traced the delicate edge with his tongue before whispering,

“I love you, too, Yosuke. Forever and always.”


End file.
